Lens array

A lens array in a hexagon pattern

A lens array is a physical component of an optical system that consists of lenses arranged in a pattern or grid. It is a component of light field cameras and some types of light field displays.

It may be called a hexagonal lens array.

Lens arrays are useful because they translate between angle of light and position of light.

A lens array is a microlens array if its lenses are less than 1 millimeter wide.

Lens arrays can be found in infra-red motion detectors.

A lens array used in integral imaging must have a viewcone size significantly smaller than a human retina in order to solve the vergence-accommodation conflict. If the viewcone size is more than the width of the retina, the display will only show parallax, and no correct focal cues.

Optics

Each lens in the array has its own optical axis. However, when the array is viewed as a cohesive unit, the lenses form a shared main optical axis.

The side with the roundings should generally face towards the source of the light. In a display, this means that the user's eye faces the flat side of the array.

Manufacturing

Lens arrays can be injection molded.

A lens array can be made from a silicone mold made with 1 mm stainless steel balls. The lens material can be epoxy resin.

Materials

• Glass
• PMMA
• Fused silica

Uses

A lens array can be found in a light field camera.

To make a plenoptic lens based display, each lens should be at the minimum 200 pixels wide and 200 pixels long.

Novel

It is possible to make a microlens array using fresnel lenses.

It is theoretically possible to make a liquid lens array, for example using water droplets.

It is theoretically possible to make a lens array that has a general curve to it, like on a semisphere.

A lens array can potentially be made out of a holographic optical element.

It is possible to make a metalens array.